It’s Always a Banner Day for U.S. Flag Enthusiast

Edward L. Lindberg, 56, wasn’t a flag waver from the start. “When I was younger I took my country for granted and really didn’t understand patriotism and Americanism at all,” he said, “even when I went to college.”

But armed with that memory, Lindberg now is waving seven American Flags in hopes young people will learn early on what the flag stands for.

Each month he takes a display of the country’s seven historical flags--the Pine Tree, Snake (Don’t Tread on Me), Saint George, Betsy Ross, Ranger, 48-star and 50-star--to a different site where they are flown 24 hours a day.

An explanation of each flag is listed nearby on a poster that was prepared by Garden Grove Elks Lodge No. 1952 as part of its Constitutional Bicentennial program.

“This is a good way for people to learn the history of the country,” said Lindberg, an Elks member who is still incensed at the flag burners of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

“They may not always believe what our country does, but burning a flag isn’t the way to protest.

“I’m glad I’m a flag waver and feel sorry for people who don’t understand the principles of how the country was founded, but we’re starting to see a lot more American flags flying these days.”

He feels the trend reversal from the earlier angry days of flag burning is due in part to President Reagan and the 1984 Olympic Games, where national pride was exhibited in the number of people waving American flags at the sporting events.

“I don’t know what it is, but Reagan strikes me as showing more patriotism than any president we have had for a long time,” he said.

Lindberg flies his flag every weekend at his Garden Grove home.

The seven-flag display was moved from the Garden Grove City Hall last month to Home Savings of America at 11922 Brookhurst Ave. In November the display will move to the Garden Grove School District headquarters and in December to the main Garden Grove library.

Heidi Haller, 40, of Mission Viejo, isn’t letting life pass her by. Just recently she was a semi-finalist from among thousands for “Co-Host for a Day” on the Channel 2 television show “2 on the Town.”

“I thought I was clever and witty but I didn’t win it,” said Haller, mother of three who said she competed last year in the Mrs. California contest. “I didn’t win that either, but I think it’s because I’m short (5-foot-2 1/2). Someday I’m going to enter a contest for short women.”

She remembers winning a T-shirt contest as the sexiest.

But now she’s involved in writing two books. One is for children called “The Fuzz That Was, Just Because” and the other is an adult novel.

Haller, director of sales for Hampton Inn in Mission Viejo, said she marches to the tune of a different drummer, “but I’m not necessarily out of step.”

Her dream is to have a walk-on line in a soap opera.

Sometimes Jack Broudy, 32, of Seal Beach, steps out wearing a body puppet. “It’s an ice breaker,” he said, “and I’ve gotten a few dates out of it.”

More important, he hopes to get rich with it.

The body puppet, as he calls it, is actually a T-shirt with built-in lips that part when you tug the hem. Then it displays a message.

For instance, his penguin shirt says “Chill it” and a Mickey Mouse shirt says “Whatta Babe.” Then the mouth closes.

Broudy and partner William Hein, 31, of Manhattan Beach, are trying to market the shirts through licensees to major department stores. They are also developing a bib puppet that works the same way. They hope to sell it to fast-food outlets.

“Making money is a big part of it,” said Broudy, a former account executive for an advertising agency, “but it’s the challenge of finishing something we started. We want to be successful in that way.”

He said the shirts will sell for about $16.

Acknowledgments--A special achievement award was presented by United Way to David Victorson, 37, for his work in training counselors and developing a teen hot line for a chemical dependency treatment program at Buena Park Community Hospital.